At 2 million models offered and counting, PlayStation VR might lead the pack in high-end headset gross sales, however Sony lately admitted that PSVR had fallen far short of its gross sales projections. 

With the PlayStation 5 reportedly a couple of years out from launch, Sony is probably going engaged on a successor to PlayStation VR that can make the most of next-gen to up its decision, pixel high quality and refresh charge.

Sony did technically launch a second PSVR headset late final 12 months: the CUH-ZVR2 added HDR compatibility, built-in headphones and a smaller connective twine. However, the true PSVR 2.zero will characteristic a a lot better bounce in specs.

The principle query is, will the PlayStation VR 2 merely enhance on its predecessor’s visuals, or will it add options like 6DoF monitoring and even go wi-fi to compete with Oculus Rift and HTC Vive?

We’ve received the newest rumors and trade insider information on what the PlayStation VR may seem like, its seemingly launch date, potential backwards compatibility and extra.

Lower to the chase

• What’s is? The subsequent-generation of PlayStation VR
• When is it out? Suspected both 2020 or 2021 to coincide with the PlayStation 5 launch
• How a lot will it price? No phrase but, however in all probability at or above the PlayStation VR’s $499 / £399 launch value 

Launch date

It’s virtually sure that PSVR 2 will work solely with the PlayStation 5 (extra on that beneath). 

And, primarily based on the newest revelations from Sony, its latest PlayStation console in all probability gained’t launch till 2020. 

PlayStation head John Kodera mentioned at a current Company Technique Assembly that the PS4’s gross sales cycle has begun to wind down, and that the PlayStation staff would hunker down till early 2021 engaged on its subsequent large venture. 

We additionally know that Sony gained’t announce any new at E3 2018, which makes 2019 absolutely the earliest we should always anticipate something. However, most analysts predict 2020 because the extra seemingly date. 

Intriguingly, Marcus Sellars, a infamous leaker of gaming information, claimed that Sony has already shipped PS5 dev kits to third-party companions. These recreation devs might have already begun work on PS5’s unique launch titles. 

On the the identical time, we haven’t heard something about PSVR 2 dev kits being despatched out. This might merely imply that Sony has stored the gear underneath tighter wraps, or that the brand new iteration isn’t prepared but. 

However, if Sony largely allocates its manpower to PS5 manufacturing, then the PSVR may launch a lot later than the console’s launch date—maybe a 12 months or extra. PlayStation VR 1 launched three years after the PS4, in spite of everything. 

Worth

The present PlayStation VR starter bundle retails for $200 / £259 / AU$420, however this inexpensive price got here after two price drops previously two years. 

The unique value for a full bundle, $499 (£399, about AU$650), may give us a good suggestion of what Sony will cost for its subsequent VR headset. 

After all, this new headset could have some doubtlessly costly tech to go along with the PS5’s elevated potential. 

Japan Show (JDI), a LCD producer co-run by Sony, lately unveiled its three.2-inch, 1,001 pixels-per-inch (ppi) shows with 2160 x 2432 decision. PSVR at the moment makes use of 386 ppi and 1920 x 1080 decision for its one 5.7-inch display. 

Including higher show high quality, in addition to doubling the display rely, may bounce up the worth.

At present, the one considerably “next-gen” VR headset available on the market is the HTC Vive Pro, which retails for $800, £800 or round AU$1,045. Relying on the PSVR 2’s , Sony may select to checklist it as a premium system. 

However, that may seemingly go in opposition to its model of providing an inexpensive entry into VR. We’re hopeful Sony will keep away from pricing all however the wealthiest amongst us out of VR.

We additionally lately noticed a patent for upgraded motion-control wands with finger monitoring and haptic suggestions. 

Greater-cost bundles of PSVR 2 might very effectively embrace these controllers for VR experiences DualShock controller can’t present. 

Why be a PlayStation 5 unique?

PlayStation four house owners (particularly Professional house owners) is likely to be a bit peeved once they uncover they’ll’t make PSVR 2 work on their consoles. 

However, it may very well be Sony’s solely choice to make its second headset really feel really next-gen. 

We examined out PSVR on the PS4 and in contrast the graphical high quality to the Professional. In “Professional Mode”, we noticed minor enhancements in textures, graininess and lag discount. In the end, although, the distinction didn’t really feel that momentous. 

Whereas the PS4 Professional definitely packs a punch, it might not have the capability to help VR with the upper decision and pixel density that Sony’s new JDI shows allow. 

The PSVR 2 may demand processing energy that last-gen consoles merely can’t match. 

Current rumors recommend that the PlayStation 5 will use the latest AMD Ryzen CPU and up to date Radeon graphics, an improve from the AMD Jaguar CPU of the PS4 and Professional. Sony may have bother making its new headset suitable with two separate graphics techniques. 

All of the up to date , design and equipment

Essentially the most concrete information we’ve got on the PS4’s up to date design comes from JDI’s announcement of its three.2-inch show with 1,001ppi and 2160 x 2432 decision. 

JDI claims that this show will scale back latency to 2.2msec (in comparison with >18msec right now), enable for 120Hz (similar because the PSVR 1), and demand much less processing energy to realize higher picture high quality—doubtlessly unlocking a lighter, smaller design for the headset. 

The upgraded AMD Ryzen chip that Sony is at the moment researching may definitely obtain the processing energy essential to help these shows. 

Sony, which uses JDI’s screens for its smartphones, will very seemingly depend on these upgraded shows for its new headset. Contemplating we already discovered the PSVR 1’s design comfy for lengthy enjoying durations, this might make its inheritor obvious much more gratifying to make use of. 

After all, if the PlayStation VR 2 does go along with twin shows, this may make the graphical demand for the headset far more troublesome to realize. For instance, if Sony needed 4K VR, then the PS5 would should be able to 8K streaming. That’s a tall ask to help a tool that almost all of PS5 house owners seemingly gained’t buy. 

We do suspect that the PSVR 2 may go wi-fi, one thing that HTC has achieved with a brand new adapter peripheral. 

Contemplating Sony prioritized slicing down the dimensions and weight of the twine that connects the headset to the console in its newest PSVR 1 upgrade, it’s clear the corporate sees it as disruptive, even annoying. Eradicating it solely is the logical subsequent step. 

By doing so, Sony can even make it simpler to help room monitoring for PSVR 2. Oculus and HTC have supported 6DoF monitoring for experiences for a few years now, and it’s one of many main areas through which PSVR falls in need of its competitors. 

The PlayStation Digital camera does observe your head and controller actions as you play whereas seated, however can’t hold observe should you transfer round, and our reviewers discovered that it continuously misplaced observe of the controller even whereas immobile. 

Including help for room monitoring will solely assist Sony in rising the dimensions of its recreation library, as it’s going to help extra experiences that depend on wandering round a room. 

After all, this might imply that the brand new PSVR 2 bundle will embrace a few room sensors to reinforce the Digital camera’s monitoring. 

Nonetheless, Sony may as a substitute take the route that Lenovo did with the Mirage Solo headset, which provides WorldSense monitoring tech within the headset itself. Decreasing the variety of peripherals may make the expertise much less onerous to arrange. 

We additionally suspect that Sony has plans to double down on Transfer controllers. Its current patent exhibits that it desires to compete with the Oculus Touch and Vive controller by including improved monitoring performance to its Transfer wands. 

Sony’s most promising concept is its “response pressure generator”, which might have parts of the Transfer wand develop or contract primarily based on regardless of the consumer is at the moment “holding” in-game. 

This tech may make experiences really feel extra immersive than earlier than, with out having to surrender on controllers solely (see: Oculus’ haptic gloves). 

Backwards compatibility seems seemingly

PlayStation VR has obtained a ton of help from Sony since its 2016 launch. It at the moment has 150 video games obtainable, and Sony promised to launch one other 130 games by the tip of 2018. 

Most of those releases will seemingly come from third events fairly than Sony studios, however, however, that’s lots of content material for a console that might get changed in a few years on the earliest. 

That’s why it’s not stunning that Sony patented a plan for backwards compatibility that may make PS4 video games playable on the PS5, which might put them on stage with Microsoft’s profitable backwards compatibility program for the Xbox One. 

We suspect that Sony will discover a solution to make its first-gen VR experiences obtainable on the second-gen system, in order that new consumers could have an enormous library of video games to select from straight out of the gate. 

PSVR 2: Simply what the VR trade wants?

As we have talked about, PlayStation VR hasn’t met Sony’s gross sales expectations. Two million is nothing to sneeze at in comparison with the high-end VR headset competitors, however Sony had anticipated the whole VR market to develop. 

As an alternative, Sony seemingly worries that VR will keep too area of interest to make the earnings the corporate as soon as hoped for. Kodera mentioned Sony would have a extra “reasonable outlook” on what sort of future gross sales it could anticipate. 

Kodera’s assertion implies that Sony stays dedicated to producing extra VR units. Sadly, the tepid VR market may imply Sony invests much less money and time into future VR experiences. 

However, ideally, the PlayStation VR 2, Oculus Rift 2, and different next-gen headsets with higher specs and fewer cords may revitalize the market and hold Sony absolutely on board with VR.